


The Man

by PetalsToFish



Series: Taylor Swift X Jily [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, F/M, Fluff, Girl Power, Inspired by She's the Man (2006), Lover - Freeform, Other, The Man - Freeform, genderswap Kinda, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27395080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetalsToFish/pseuds/PetalsToFish
Summary: Lily's tired of receiving backlash for her flying in the Quidditch circuit and enlists the help of her roommates, James and Sirius, to prove that she is being discriminated against as a woman by masquerading as a man. (Lover Series One-Shot #4)
Relationships: James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: Taylor Swift X Jily [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1512740
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60





	The Man

"I need your help."

She really did need his help, and it didn't matter that they'd broken up two years ago, she knew he'd drop anything to help her. She knew that, because she felt the same way about him. And now she was literally on her knees, hands clasped together, as she begged James Potter to save her.

No, not save her.

Save her reputation.

No, actually, she needed his help to dismantle the patriarchy.

"You never need my help." James disagreed flippantly, "you say it all the time in your nagging voice."

Lily blew her hair from her eyes, "you were at the banquet yesterday, you saw the way Bagman treated me!"

"You're an amazing flyer, Lily." James replied, "don't take what one asshole says to your heart."

"Easy for you to say," she shot back, "since he's never said anything negative about you!"

"He called me ' _twitchy four-eyes_ ' once." James countered, "and I have never been the same."

"That's not the same James, and you know it."

James sobered, "I know, I'm sorry."

Lily kicked at the sofa to display her dismay, "I'm so sick of flying as fast as I can, only to know I'd get better reports if I were a man."

It was well known that Lyndon Bagman had taken one too many hits to the head. That's probably why he reported sports events so egotistically and blindly. His most recent report of the all-girl quidditch team, The Holyhead Harpies, was singlehandedly the most sexist and grotesque report Lily had ever read in her life. Not only did Bagman say that ' _witches should focus on riding brooms other than the literal ones'_ but he also called Lily, specifically, ' _a witch who looks suited for a housewife life_ ' due to her ' _wide hips and generous tits_ '.

Lily had considered murder of many kinds. She'd almost marched all the way to the Ministry department where Bagman worked and broken more than his nose. She'd been contemplating if a life sentence in Azkaban would really be that bad, if it meant that Bagman wouldn't be breathing the same air as her anymore.

James, Lily's best friend and roommate, had considered murder too. Sure, he was no longer her boyfriend but he still loved her just the same. James was offended for her after Bagman took a shot at her career. He'd drunkenly written up a long letter slamming Bagman and threatening to end his whole career. Lily had been just as wasted so she egged him on.

Their roommate Sirius was the one who burned the letter to save their careers.

Bagman was a dick and he wouldn't have hesitated to ruin both James and Lily's name. He controlled every aspect of the sport down to the actual rule book. He was the reason that the HolyHead Harpies weren't even considered at international level. Bagman did not like being crossed by other players who were seen as a threat to his reputation as the best flyer in all of England...witches included.

"I'm not gonna help you kill the bloke," James warned, "I'd like to keep this flat with you, not share a one toilet cell in Azkaban."

Lily got up from her knees, brushing her hair back hurriedly, "not kill him James, just help me get him back for that shit he wrote!"

"I know I threatened to duel him," James said, "but I think if I did that, we would both lose our sponsorships with Witch Weekly when Bagman personally calls them and tells them to drop us for making him cry."

"He deserves to cry." Lily crossed her arms and stomped her foot, "he made my whole team cry after that awful article!"

It wasn't a lie, the entire Holyhead Harpies team was distraught at the printed article. Mallory Desmond had a panic attack in the locker room after reading after Bagman had compared her quaffle catches to a drunk house elf trying to do laundry.

"I want to march into his office and set his broomstick collection on fire." Lily huffed, "he's such an arrogant asshole! If we were a male dominant team then he wouldn't have said those awful things! He's just pissed because a team of witches beat his old team in the Christmas league!"

"Yeah," James pushes his glasses up his nose, "he's definitely a sexist git, no question there, but how are we supposed to sully _his_ good name while he's dragging _yours_ through mud?"

"Well maybe...we could...prank him?" Lily offered.

James considered that, "we'd have to be smart about it."

"Like how careful?" Lily asked, still preferred her idea to set Bagman's broomstick collection on fire.

James put a hand to his chin as he considered their options. Lily fell into her seat beside James on the sofa. Across the way, Sirius Black looked up from his newspaper. Sirius had been uncharacteristically silent since Lily started her campaign. Normally the third portion of their party was the most outspoken of all.

"If Bagman thinks that girls can't play quidditch better than boys, then change his mind." Sirius said, "win a shit ton of trophies, or whatever it is you jocks do in your free time."

"All the trophies in the world wouldn't change Bagman's mind," Lily reminded her second roommate, "Bagman just hates that some witches can fly a broom better than he ever could."

"So prove that girls can play quidditch better than most." Sirius suggested, "dress up as a boy and play on one of the other strings, see if Bagman changes his tune about your flying in his reports as a boy."

Lily's jaw dropped at Sirius' brilliant and easily understandable plan. She jumped out of the seat she'd just occupied and ran over to Sirius' spot. She grabbed the dark and brooding boy by his cheeks and kissed the top of his head.

"Sirius!" She exclaimed, "you're brilliant!"

Sirius pushed her away, the slight glow in his cheeks giving away his favor for her, "I'm always brilliant, Evans."

Lily didn't bother answering because she was already formulating a plan, "okay, so, if I get a bit of human transfiguration down, I can probably alter my features enough."

"I think I have some great spells for that," Sirius was sitting up like a dog that learned a new trick, "plus, if we lop off all that hair, no one would notice!"

"Her hair!" James, who had been silent up until that point, exclaimed with intended outrage, "you can't cut off her hair!"

Lily and Sirius gave each other a look before the considered James. James, who was staring at Lily as if she'd suggested he cut of all of his hair...which honestly would've been more tragic. Lily loved his hair because it always looked perfectly swept up in curls and dark waves. It would be a tragedy if he ever decided to go bald. Lily used to loved wrapping her fingers up into it tightly whenever he kissed her right below her—She shook herself and sent James a more stern look.

"It's just hair, James."

"Gorgeous hair," James shot back, "you can't say you wouldn't be heartbroken if I ever cut all of mine off."

Lily flushed, her brain flirting back to old ideas that never entirely disappeared. She tried her best to remain unmoved by his vehement distaste.

"Fine." Sirius said, "she can keep her hair, but the rest of her has got to look the part for this to work, James. Bagman can't recognize her."

"What if I wait until he personally calls me a great flyer," Lily said, "and then I whipped off my disguise! Imagine the actual pain on his face when he realizes he complimented a woman flyer!"

James groaned as he slid further into the sofa cushions. Lily smirked at how dramatic he was being while Sirius stood up and started circling Lily like a vulture. He poked and prodded at various parts of her until he stopped dead center, staring at her breasts.

If Lily was anything, it was well endowed in the chest. While her sister had been a bean pole since day one, Lily had taken after the Evans side of the family and was all curves. James stood up, protesting before Sirius could even get the words out.

"Transfiguring her, even for a short amount of time, could be bad." James said, "if full transformation was easy and safe, then everyone would do it and you can't be sure that it wouldn't hurt her."

Sirius shot his brother a look, "breathe James, it's a simple enough spell and it'll only be for practices and games."

"I trust Sirius," Lily said, "and this is perfect, I can prove that girls can play quidditch too!"

James pressed a hand to his forehead, "I know you can all play well." He said, "that's not the point, the point is that you could get hurt by body transfiguration."

Sirius quirked a brow, "mate, she lives with two illegal animagus. I think she's covered in the transfiguration safety department."

Lily jutted her thumb at Sirius, "see? Perfectly safe."

James still seemed wary, "what team will accept a player halfway through the season? The Captain would have to be mad to accept a rookie player he doesn't know this late in the game."

Lily tilted her head at him suggestively. Sirius put one hand on his hip, sending James a vacant expression. James looked between them, clearly still not up to the level of antics his roommates were already planning inside their heads. Lily gave James another eyebrow raise and that was the moment that the light went on in his head.

"My team!" James eyes glittered at the realization, "holy fuck, you can come play for my team!"

Lily beamed at James, "now you're getting it!"

James threw back his head and laughed, long and loud. Lily clasped her hands together in front of her chest, clapping them twice. Sirius was already walking over to the bookshelf and pulling spell books off the mantel.

By the time all was said and done, Lily Evans the professional quidditch player and Captain of the Holyhead Harpies was Liam Evans, a rookie Scotsman with a round face and nice long red hair. She could still see bits of herself, despite the alterations done to her upper half. Her eyebrows were bushier, her lips thinner and she had absolutely no breasts to offset her wide shoulders. Still, Liam could've easily been Lily if someone saw them standing next to each other. Luckily, no one ever would.

Lily tested her new look out at James' practice where she was introduced to the team as the new chaser. No one even glanced at her twice as she straddled her broomstick. She wore James' gear as she took to the skies as a man, determined to prove that girls could fly circles around boys.

The secret stayed amongst Lily, James and Sirius. Not even Lily's own team knew she was doing double practices. She worked her ass off a whole month to make the trick work. James' team was one of the more diverse teams in the league. He had two girls, twins, who played as beaters. Lily hung out with them the most at practice through she didn't find the men on James' team to be totally unbearable. In fact, she rather liked playing for the Easton Eagles.

James seemed to like her there too. He often stood next to her while he divided tasks amongst the group. They would tease and harass each other before and after practice. James has taken to pinching her arm and offering her a wink whenever she did something to make him laugh.

Lily had forgotten what James was like outside of the confines of the home they shared. He was more careful and kind at home, on the quidditch pitch he was his ruthless self that she'd lusted after in school. He'd make cheap shots at her pride when he thought she was too cocky and then turned around to congratulate her when she did a harder play. Equally as encouraging, she sometimes caught him staring her way when they were polishing team brooms.

She wasn't the only one who noticed. Whispers started, rumors really, that James had his eyes on the new recruit. Someone even made a comment in passing that 'Liam' made sense for James, simply because he had a thing for gingers. Lily knew they only made those comments because they remembered James' last relationship...with her.

At her Harpies practices, she remained inconspicuous. She drilled her girls into the ground to make them faster, better and stronger. Lily had a Harpie's game before her first Eagle's game as Liam. Her team crushed the Polk Panthers yet Bagman still had the gall to trash talk Lily's team.

As for Lily? Bagman reserved the terms 'untamed' and 'undisciplined' for her captaining. The picture he used in his stupid article was a picture of Lily, eyes closed, on her broomstick. The Captain, sleeping on her post.

It only made Lily more determined.

When the first Eagles game arrived she was jumping and ready to go. Sirius has to almost physically hold her down to work his magic and turn her into Liam. James surprised her with 'Liam's' Eagle Jersey. It was number 13, the same number she wore across her chest playing for the Harpies.

"I thought it was ironic and a bold statement," James said as she pulled it over her head, "because you're really playing and Bagman won't have a clue, until you reveal yourself."

Lily rolled her long red hair into a bun on the top of her head, "I was thinking of writing an article and publishing it, when all is said and done."

James reached up to tuck a strand of loose hair into her bun. He was inches away from her, hazel eyes tracing her face. Even as Liam, it seemed, he couldn't keep his hands off her.

"That would be the icing on the cake." He muttered, "imagine the look on Bagman's face when he realizes what you've done. He won't even be able to discredit you because that would be taking back all that other shit he spewed for months!"

"I know." Lily beamed, "I couldn't have done this without you."

James chuckled, his fingers sliding along her jaw, "I imagine you would've found a way, you're quite innovative when you're trying to prove to someone that they are being an arse."

"I had practice with a stubborn ex boyfriend."

"I hear he was quite the looker."

"Broom size was definitely proportional, if you catch my drift."

"He's been meaning to ask you for a quick fly."

Lily leaned into his fingers, "are you flirting with me, James Potter?"

"It's crazy but," James grinned even wider, "you remind me of someone, Liam Evans."

Lily took a deep breath, "I've been told I look an awful lot like _your_ ex girlfriend."

"You play quidditch as well as her."

She winked, "I bet Lily plays better."

James tilted her chin up, "I wonder if you kiss better than Lily too?"

"Only one way to find out."

She pressed up onto her tiptoes, a knee jerk reaction to his teasing. His lips were against hers in the next second, teasing her mouth open with ample tongue. Lily kissed him back like it hadn't been two years of patiently waiting for James to wake up. She had absolutely hated herself for asking him to take a break. Now, it seemed, he'd finally gotten the hint that the break had been for too long.

All she had to do was feign being a man and play on his quidditch team to get him back.

"I missed this." He mumbled against her mouth, "so much."

Her fingers had, at some point, wound up in his curls. She smiled happily as he pressed his nose to hers and shook his head. James tucked his fingers along her jaw again when she sighed happily.

"I want you to know," he said softly, "once this masquerade is up, I'd like for you to stay."

"Stay?" Lily murmured, "I'm not going anywhere."

James shook his head, "I want you to keep playing chaser for the Eagles."

"Give up the Harpies?" Lily felt her heart drop to her stomach, "but I'd be giving up my Captain spot."

James kissed her lightly, "I am stepping down from Captain."

Lily yanked out of James' arms, "giving up Captain? Are you out of your bloody mind?"

James tried to pull her back in, "no..."

"James," Lily pressed her fingers to her temple, "you're mad if you think—"

"Hear me out," James grabbed her hands to keep her close by, "Remember that sizable fortune mum and da left me?"

"Yes?" Lily still didn't understand where James was going with his confession and plea.

James seemed to find her uncertainty amusing, "I'm buying the Eagles."

Lily felt physically sick, "you're what?"

"I'm leaving the team," his hazel eyes glowed mischievously, "so I can buy the team."

"Why?"

"I'm tired of Dickens telling me how to run the team." James replied simply, "he's old fashioned and running the Eagles into the grounds with his rules and expectations."

"So you're buying the team?" Lily pushed her hair back with one freed hand, "James you'd be managing the whole Eagle's brand."

James nodded, "which is exactly why I want a seasoned Captain like you, Lily."

Lily took a step closer to James, feeling the shock settle as her admiration settled back in. James saw her settling down and used his free hand to grasp at her arse and drag her closer.

"You've been juggling two teams for two months." James said, "you've more than proven that you're the most capable person for the job."

Lily was glowing under his compliments, "I promise to keep up that stellar work in tonights game."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be amazing." James pushed his hips closer, "Captain."

She lifted back onto her tiptoes, "How much more kissing can we get in before the game?"

James lightly nipped at her nose, "let's go Liam, we have a game to win and a patriarchy to smash."

Lily wrapped her hand in his, "damn, that's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me."

"I knew you'd like that."

Later, at the game, Lily scored six of the ten goals as Liam. People in the stands were screaming her name and later that night, toasting her name. She was in the after party answering questions of her new fans. Not a single person could believe that she was a rookie off the streets.

"James Potter lucked out with you, Mr. Evans." One wizard said over his cocktail.

A woman with a very white poodle in her arms squeaked happily, "you're going to get so many sponsorships, young man!"

The best part though, was much later, when post was delivered to the breakfast table by Sirius' owl Newt. Lily was halfway through her third bowl of porridge and James was half asleep next to her, one hand on her thigh. The paper was amongst several packages and Lily took her time grabbing it. She flipped to the sports section and actually screamed in disbelief.

**Liam Evans: Rookie of the Year?**

_Bagman_

_Look out quidditch fans, there's a new wizard in town! Liam Evans, a rookie with zero games under his belt, came off strong as the new Eagle's chaser. He scored six of the ten hoops made in last night's tremendous game._

_Everyone keep an eye on number thirteen, as the season continues he is sure to amaze everyone. We can expect great things from this rookie. He's the man to watch!_

"Can you believe this shit?" Lily shoved the paper in James' face, "one game as a boy and suddenly I am going to 'do great things' as a player?!"

James read the new article before glancing her way, "please write your article and send it in to be published tomorrow so he can look like a bigger arse than he already does."

**If I Were a Man, I'd be The Man**

Lily Evans

_Everyone knows that I proudly play on the only all-female quidditch team and how proud of that I am. Some people, namely Mr. Bagman at the Department of Magical Sports, said that women don't belong on the quidditch pitch. I needed a way to prove that women are just as capable as men on a broomstick. That's where Liam Evans came in. Liam allowed me to play as a different gender, something that shouldn't make ratings go up or down. Yet, funnily enough, I went from being the 'worst Captain the Holyheads ever saw' to the Eagles; 'rookie of the year' in two months._

_How?_

_Well, my flying is still the same, my style is still the same and the only difference between Liam and Lily was the gender I was wearing._

_The second I became something other than a woman, was the only second that Bagman actually paid attention to my flying...not to my great arse or amazing tits. He also didn't use a single negative or derogatory word in his article for Liam, but if you go back to articles about Lily, you will find he uses terms often reserved for farm animals._ _This just proved my theory that if I were a man, no one would question how much of this I deserved. I would be complex, I would be cool and more importantly, Bagman would say I played the field the way I'm supposed too. Most important takeaway of this gender swap?_

_Never underestimate a girl._

Lily's article was published the next morning with Quidditch fan hysteria to follow. No one could believe that she masqueraded her way into beating Bagman at his own game. People were analyzing shots of her playing against that of shots of her as Liam on the pitch. Bagman's reputation was ruined as Quidditch fans from all over took Lily's side. Even Bagman's young nephew, a flyer as well, condemned him publicly.

The best part happened two weeks later at James' press conference to announce his early retirement. Lily stood beside James, yawning as they talked to everyone about the plans for the Eagles. She was in a bright red sundress attached to James' arm and trying not to yawn.

Bagman ran into her about an hour into the party. He stared at first, face going tomato red. He sputtered, awkwardly, before he started to run in the opposite direction. Lily almost burst out laughing but James beat her to the punch.

"He ran away like a dog with his tail between his legs!" James pinched her arm.

Lily grinned at James, "he acted as if I shocked him!"

"You did," James reminded her, "you beat him at his own game and proved he was a sexist git!"

"That's not very shocking." Lily shrugged, "after all, I'm great at winning games on the pitch and off."

"Is that so?" James nudged her.

Lily arched a brow at him playfully, "I won you, didn't I?"

"Are you comparing me to a snitch?" James leaned forward to scrunch his nose at her.

"I'm a seeker now." She responded with a nose tap.

"So?"

"So, as the snitch," she joked, "you're the only thing I need to care about catching, and keeping."

James kissed her softly before replying, "Consider me kept."


End file.
